Psalms 95:3, the Council of Gods
For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods.
//Yesterday, I introduced the council of gods in heaven. The Hebrew God, Yahweh, was apparently believed to be the head of the council:
Psalms 82:1, God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.
Yahweh apparently became the big cheese because of his might:
Psalms 89:6, For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
This “council of gods” in heaven was a common Mediterranean belief where Israel settled, and each community held loyal to their own chosen local representative on the council. Israel’s chosen god was particularly jealous, requiring strict devotion to him alone:
Exodus 34:14, For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
In fact, he didn’t even want his humans talking about other gods:
Exodus 23:13, “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.”
In time, of course, Judaism evolved away from the idea of multiple gods. Instead, they began to claim that all the other gods were either make-believe or were demons. We’ve come full circle back to yesterday’s verse and Paul’s claim in the New Testament:
1 Corinthians 8:4, … there is no other God but one.
Fantasy Football, Anyone?
Put on the whole uniform of the Team, that ye may be able to stand against the blitz of oncoming linebackers. Don the hip pads of truth, the shoulder pads of righteousness, the cleats of preparation. Don’t forget the facemask of faith and the helmet of salvation. Then clutch the pigskin with much Spirit, for that is what the Play Book of your Coach in Heaven demands.The River of Life
Twice before Lee Harmon has written about Christian topics, once on the gospel of John and once on the book of Revelation. But the question people keep asking him is this: As a liberal Christian, why do you care so much about the Bible? Others wonder whether he is truly a Christian at all.
The Way It Happened
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| Revelation: A love story gone awry. | The Gospel: A love story set aright. |
What really happened 2,000 years ago? How did a persecuted minority of end-time believers known as Christians, with their dreams of Armageddon and a conquering Messiah named Jesus, evolve into the largest religion in the world? Author Lee Harmon explores the period in which the New Testament was written in his books about John's Gospel and Revelation.
(Bloggers: you may be eligible for a free review copy! Just contact us.)
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The God Show
Lee Harmon interviewed on The God Show about the History Channel's miniseries The Bible and Lee's latest book, John's Gospel: The Way It Happened.
About Lee
Hello! I'm an author, historical Jesus scholar, book reviewer, and liberal Christian, which means I appreciate and attempt to exercise the humanitarian teachings of Jesus without getting hung up on any particular supernatural or religious beliefs.
The Bible is a magnificent book that has inspired and spiritually fed generations for thousands of years, and each new century seems to bring a deeper understanding of life’s purpose. This is true of not only Christianity; through the years, our age-old religions are slowly transforming from superstitious rituals into humanitarian philosophies. In short, we are growing up, and I am thrilled to be riding the wave.
I avidly read all thought-provoking religion titles. New authors: I'd love to read and review your book!
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About Leslie
Hi! While Lee writes the articles and reviews the books, I edit, organize, and maintain the blog. The views expressed here are Lee's but I'm his biggest supporter! :-)
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